Aelwyd, Land of the Druids... but a place swiftly dying to the hands of modern power.

[Wensleydale]

I will :) just writing up the weaves first.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Wild and formal magic? You aren't getting this from me, are you?

Well, I changed "formal" to "coded" in my thing because that's how I see it.  For your purposes you could call it something like "tamed" or "bound" to represent that's it's being bent to someone else's will.

[Wensleydale]

Bound magic! Just the word I was looking for! Thanks, Silver.

[Wensleydale]

New Damage Types

New Damage Types:

There is now no 'Magic' damage. Instead, Magical damage can be one of several things: Fire, Air, Water or Earth. Normal fire damage is now known as heat damage, to prevent confusion.

All spells that deal cold damage now do Water damage, with identical effects, just a different name. All spells dealing fire (heat) damage now deal MAGICAL fire damage, which is slightly different. Although it has the same effects, it cannot be resisted by mere fire immunity. All spells that deal electricity damage deal air damage, and all spells that deal sonic damage are now counted as earth damage.

The differences?

Well, although heat damage can be resisted by something with magical fire immunity, a mere heat immunity cannot resist magical fire. The same with cold damage: water immunity stops cold damage, but cold immunity does not stop water damage.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Good idea on separating magical and real fire.  It makes more sense now that 'magic' and 'elements' why standing in air doesn't pummle you (but don't call me out on my own use of that).  Also you could concievably give heat resistance "stuff" (magic items, spells) at lower levels and know that you aren't overbalancing things by giving players access to potent defenses.

Dragonriders?  Are you going to be having different dragons from the ones in the MM?

[Wensleydale]

*nodnod*

Well, basically neutral dragons. They can no longer speak, except telepathically with some naturally gifted individuals, and have no spells or spell-likes. They also cannot get past the Mature Adult category.

The only things they'll retain is 'cloudwalk', 'frostwalk' etc. and breath weapons. Also I'm gonna be cutting a couple of them.

[Wensleydale]

Weapons... and things.

Iron weapons: Iron weapons and armour...

* Can't be enchanted, or at least not as much as normal weapons.

* Armour is weaker (lower AC)

* Weapons aren't as sharp (-1 piercing and slashing damage) however the Guerin treat them to make them harder and heavier (+2 bludgeoning damage)

Steel is as normal, but does +1 extra damage to fey.

New armour/weapons & changes to armour/weapons

Armour:

Iron Breastplate: AC +4, 200gp (gold is common in Aelwyd, therefore price stays the same), Max Dex +6, Check Penalty -4, Spell Failure 25% (Only applies to Bound Magic), Speed 30ft, Weight 30lb.

Iron Splint: AC +5, 200GP, Max Dex +4, Check Penalty -6, Spell Failure 50%, Speed 20ft, Weight 45lb.

Iron Buckler: 20GP, AC +1, Max Dex +8, Check Penalty -1, Spell Failure 10%, Speed -, Weight 5lb.

Wooden Shield, Tower: 30GP, AC +3, Max Dex +2, Check Penalty -6, Spell Failure -, Speed - Weight 45lb.

Iron Shortsword: 7GP, 1D6-1, crit 18-20x2, weight 3lb, Piercing or Slashing.

Iron Longsword: 10GP, 1D8-1, crit 18-20x2, weight 4lb, Piercing or Slashing.

Iron Handaxe: 6GP, 1D6-1, crit x3, Weight 3lb, Slashing.

Iron Battleaxe: 10GP, 1D8-1, Crit x3, Weight 6lb, Slashing.

Stuff available to the Guerin apart from this:

Javelin, Spear, Wooden Shields (light and heavy).

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

The Language System

In Aelwyd, you don't gain automatic full proficiency with a language just by taking a rank in 'Speak Language'. No, the only language you gain automatic proficiency in is the one you choose as your automatic language, and any you gain from your bonus languages list because of intelligence bonus. You can gain proficiency in other languages via use of the Speak Language skill, but not in a normal way. The proficiencies you gain here, however, are slightly different from regular DnD. Speak Language has checks for some things, and requires 10 points to work properly.


New skill!

Speak Language (Int, Trained Only)

Like the Knowledge, Craft and Profession skills, Speak Language encompasses several different 'semiskills', in this case different languages. You can gain as many ranks as you want in any language. Example scenarios and DCs are below.

[table Scenarios and DCs]
[tr][th]Scenario[/th][th]DC [/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Understand/speak curse word[/td][td]8[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Understand/speak a few words[/td][td]12[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Understand/Speak Sentence[/td][td]  15 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Understand Native Sentence[/td][td] 18 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Understand/Hold Conversation[/td] [td]26[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Understand Native Conversation [/td] [td]28[/td][/tr]
[/table]
   

I don't suppose you'd mind if I borrowed this for Ah'rem.  It makes working with foreign cultures much more interesting.

[Wensleydale]

Sure.

[Wensleydale]

Aequii Politics (And a short history of their empire)

To understand Aequan politics and their point of view, you have to go back in their history far, far, far... to a time when Aeqius was not even named as such, and dragons roamed the land freely, speaking to men. And there were born there two brothers, Aeqius and Aquus. They were abandoned by their mother after she was blackmailed into 'murdering' them by the ruler of the city, but they were found by a female dragon who took care of them and killed any who attacked. Finally they grew to become great men, but one day Aquus provoked his brother to great anger by an act yet unknown. Aeqius stabbed his brother through the heart and embedded his dagger in the ground, declaring that 'this is the spot where I shall make my Empire's Heart.'
Aeqius was a proud and strong man, and men and women soon flocked to his side as he declared his new empire. He built a city named after himself, and united all the peoples around him as one. He died after forging the great city-state of Aequius, and his three sons squabbled. Both Julius and Brutus, and Scipius too, all declared they should be ruler. After a great war that split the empire into three, the gods rained down anger from above at behest of their father. The three brothers made an alliance and agreed to stop fighting, instead allowing the eldest, Brutus, to become king, the second eldest, Julius, to become head of the newly appointed Senate, or literally 'those that choose', and Scipius, the youngest, to head the army. Ironically it was Scipius who is the most famed due to his great victories and eventual conquering of almost all of Europa and some of Africana. Even the great Grekos fell before his mighty army and tactical strength, although they later rebelled and routed his army (long after his death). He was also the first dragonrider.

After the brothers' deaths, there was another war, although this one more political. The houses formed by the brothers; the Julii, Brutii, and Scipii, were all powerful, and whilst the Julii had seized the imperial seat in a rare show of physical force, they had lost their position in the senate which was grabbed, along with the army, by the Scipii. The Brutii, however, still held Aeqius itself, and the entire province around it. This has set all three families in an akward position that continues to this day, one being emperor but not holding the capital, one holding capital but not being emperor, and one controlling the army. This problem has persisted, even through hundreds of years of political battles of will and mind.

The only other extremely necessary event to list apart from the birth of Marcus Julius is the finding of Bound Magic by Claudius, a well-known Grekos philosopher. Although the Grekos attempted to keep the secret from their near-overlords, secrets escaped across the border and soon the Aequii had their first mages. Within a very short time, the first Stormrider ships had been built, propelled through the water as if... in fact BY magic, the flame-hurler catapults were created, firing orbs of flame out of absolutely nothing, and the Perpetuum bows were built, firing arrows and never running out. Oh, and steel was forged, too.

Finally, the birth of Marcus Julius. Marcus was born under the Nine-Tongued Dragon, a famous star sign, to parents of the Julii family, and with Dragonspeak already in his head. He went into the Legions at sixteen and returned hardened and strong, eventually rising to a high position in the senate at twenty-seven, a remarkably young age. However, he couldn't leave the legions behind. Through his parents' and officers' influence (all of it was needed to bypass the Scipii 'tests', intended to stop those from other families joining), he managed to become candidate for the Dragon Legion. He swiftly rose even among their ranks, becoming a leader amongst leaders, and now leads the assault against Aelwyd. At forty-three, he has many victories to his name, including retaking Galla and parts of Numidi.

[Wensleydale]

>>Stupid thing! Why can I not delete it! Oh, god! Why can I not!<<

See lower post.

[Wensleydale]

[Wensleydale]

Aelwydan Society

The Güerin-Aelwyd have several 'Castes', the Druidic, Lord, Freeman, and Servant. You can be born or raised into a caste. Most are born as Freemen, who can swear allegiance to a lord for mutual benefit (see Swearing Allegiance, below) or live their life under their own rule. Servants are Freemen captured during tribal skirmishes, who swear allegiance to Lords and can, with time, become Freemen once more. The Druidic caste includes many both raised and born. They are described in more detail below, under Druids.

 Swearing Allegiance

A Freeman can swear allegiance to a lord for mutual benefit; that is, payment, food, shelter for the Freeman and service and a swordarm in battle for the Lord. This can only be done on Festival Days, unless in a time of great need (such as when the Aequii Legion is within four days of the fort.)
Captured Freemen can also Swear Allegiance. They are not allowed to fight, instead serving the Lord's hold and his men in return for shelter and food. They become a member of the Servant Caste, as do their family. Servants are respected, although not as much as Freemen, and a loyal servant is often rewarded by being raised to the Freeman Caste in the service of the Lord.

 Druids: Druids are not all Wild Magic users, as only those with the spark can perform such deeds. Even those without the spark, however, are respected and feared. Druids are known to whip up the Güerin into a religious frenzy whether they have the power or not.
Druid children are considered Freeman children until old enough to be taught the ways of respect and possibly magic. About half of the druids in Aelwyd can use Wild Magic, and children of any caste who can do so are swiftly snapped up into the druids' grasp. Druids are known to speak with fey.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

I like the map.

While you are free to disregard the advice, historical the Celts are one of the cultures believed to have simultaneously invented chain armor, so you might consider the inclusion of it.  Rome didn't invent most of its weapons/armor tech so much as adapt it from its enemies (and former enemies).  They learned a lot from the Celts.

[Wensleydale]

Ah yes, I knew there was one type of armour I'd forgotten about. Consider chain armour to be in with -1 AC.

I know... the Aequii steal most of their stuff from the Grekos... :P

Just as the Romans stole from the Greeks.